Return
by Sandsibscrazy
Summary: He was a useless Uchiha. They thought this was punishment enough. Naruto couldn't agree more. ONESHOT Read the PREQUEL 'Retrieval'


Just something that popped into my head. I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: ****This literature is purely for recreational purposes. I gain no profit from the story. I do not own any rights to 'Naruto'.**

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"I brought you back, bastard." Naruto whispers to the prone teen on the hospital bed. He inches his chair closer to the bed when his old friend doesn't respond. He continues to look up at the ceiling. After five years, Sasuke Uchiha had become a citizen of Konoha.

"Not all of me." Sasuke finally says, he laughs out humorlessly but it sounds more like a sob. Naruto doesn't want to look but he does anyway. The hospital blanket doesn't conceal it well enough; he sees where the Uchiha's legs used to be. In their stead were two stumps that ended just below his knee.

With a heavy heart, Naruto is unsure of what to say. He wets his lips and repositions himself in his seat.

"Tsunade-baachan made me her successor." Naruto says. Anything to forget what he had done, how it was his fault Sasuke would never walk normally again. Sasuke turns his head; he's looking at Naruto now.

"That was your dream." Naruto flinches. Sasuke had dreams too, ambitions and goals, they seemed so far away now.

Naruto finds he's unable to think of something to say again. He wants to apologize, yell, scream, anything to get rid of the all-consuming guilt. Sasuke stops looking at him and focuses on the ceiling yet again.

The trial had been long and hard but it was decided that Sasuke wasn't a threat anymore. The council poured over the facts and figures for days then they came to a conclusion. He was a useless Uchiha. They thought this was punishment enough. Naruto couldn't agree more.

"She says you can leave in a few days." Naruto tries to lift the mood a bit. The Uchiha had been in the hospital far too long anyway. Sasuke doesn't move or even indicate he heard him.

"You can stay with me for now." Naruto offers with a slight uncertain smile. Again, there was no response.

"I'll be back." Naruto has to leave. This one sided conversation left him drained and nauseas. The guilt ate at him as he ran toward his house. He bumps into someone along the way but he doesn't stop. The hokage-to-be just mutters an apology and moves on. At home, he readies his bed. His best friend would sleep there. There was no way he would allow the man to sleep on the couch. Naruto faintly thinks as he punches his kitchen table in two, that his cockroach infested floor was too good for him.

People shrink from the dangerous look on their future kage's face as he pushes his friend through the crowded streets. The jeers and taunts were quickly put to an end once Naruto decides to stop ignoring them. Sasuke didn't seem effected. He sat in the wheelchair stock still, he didn't give any type of hint that he cared.

Naruto tries to push the wheelchair as quickly as possible without being too obvious. They get to his home an excruciating twenty minutes later. The stairs had proved to be a difficult roadblock but he was able to hoist Sasuke and the wheelchair up to his apartment. Naruto wasn't sure Sasuke had even blinked since they left the hospital.

By the time Sasuke was able to discharge from the hospital, Naruto had bought another kitchen table.

Naruto pushes Sasuke over to it.

"I'm going to make some breakfast." Naruto tells him and he moves to do just that. It wasn't until Naruto halfheartedly eats his ramen that Sasuke speaks for the first time in days.

"They took my chakra." Naruto fumbles with his chopsticks and ends up dropping the noodles back into the bowl. They make an unpleasant sound.

"We'll get it back." Naruto promises but it sounds empty even to his ears. Sasuke Uchiha was never getting his chakra back. Sasuke didn't respond to Naruto's promise, instead he finally picks up the chopsticks Naruto provided him with and takes a few bites of the ramen. Naruto smiles grimly. It was progress.

The two sit in silence. There was so much Naruto wants to say yet he doesn't know where to begin. Something tells him Sasuke won't give him answers anyway.

Later that night, Naruto helps Sasuke get dressed in some pajamas. Naruto feels extremely embarrassed by the process so he can't imagine what someone so proud was feeling. He pretended like it didn't affect him as helped Sasuke raise his hips off of the bed to put on the bottoms. Naruto forced himself to look at the bandaged stumps.

"Good night Sasuke." He tucks his friend in, something the Uchiha would've usually protested, and took his spot on the couch. The sun wasn't even up when Naruto was jolted awake by harsh breathing.

He quickly makes his way toward his friend. Sasuke was bucking off the bed wildly, hands trying to reach for legs that weren't there. Sweat glistens on his face as it clenches in agony. Naruto shakes awake his friend. The Uchiha snaps open his eyes. Naruto can almost see his heart beating in his chest.

"It was a dream." He says calmly, trying to rid his friend of the wild look in his eyes. Sasuke slowly relaxes.

"So it was." The teen breathes out and his head falls back on the sweaty pillow. Naruto grimaces.

"How about a bath?" Sasuke sighs but nods anyway. Naruto wonders how dirty the Uchiha must feel to agree to something like that. Nevertheless, he helps him back in the wheelchair and pushes him into his small bathroom.

While the tub fills with warm water Naruto begins to unravel the binding around what's left of the Uchiha's legs. He looks at the scars marring the stumps. They're healing nicely. Naruto wonders if Sasuke is starting to feel the phantom pains Tsunade and Sakura had warned him of. It's not like his friend would tell him. He'd just have to find out. Sasuke undresses himself the best he can. Naruto notices proudly that he didn't need to help all that much.

Naruto turned off the water once it was at a reasonable level. He scooped the Uchiha up and gently put him in the tub. Naruto suddenly slaps a hand over his forehead. He gets up to give the Uchiha a sponge and bar of soap, glad he had gone shopping the day before.

Sasuke takes the items soundlessly and begins to wash himself. Naruto sits on the toilet lid to wait. He wants to give Sasuke his privacy but he fears the Uchiha may slip and go under. He'd rather play it safe.

"I'm done." Naruto hears and he inwardly groans at being caught daydreaming. He looks down at the Uchiha before he helped him. Sasuke stares back, waiting to get out of the tub. Naruto chest clenches painfully. It was his entire fault.

The weeks after were much like the first days. Naruto decides to take his Hokage training home. He reads important and informative scrolls on his couch. Sasuke reads beside him. Naruto had picked him up all types of books. Sasuke had taken a liking to the mystery novels.

Sasuke is slowly learning independence again. With Lee as his personal trainer he was quickly building strength. He would be at civilian strength soon. He's also learned how to swallow his pride and ask for things.

"I need some fresh air." Sasuke requests from his spot on the couch. Naruto immediately puts down his scroll.

"Thank kami! I am so bored." Naruto whines. Sasuke rolls his eyes.

"Alone, Naruto." Naruto pouts but acquiesces. He helps the Uchiha into his chair and they head outside of the apartment. Sasuke starts to roll away, pushing the wheel with callused hands when Naruto shouts at his back.

"Be back by dinner!" he hollers. Sasuke doesn't answer him and Naruto pouts. Then he realizes he sounds like Sasuke's parent and he grimaces before going back into his apartment to study.

Sasuke wheels himself through the crowd. He ignores anyone who tries to talk to him or even look at him. His arms burn a little from the exertion when he finally gets to his destination.

He looks around at the green forest surrounding the deep pond. It's a deep blue color, darker than Naruto's eyes. He inhales deeply, the slight wind dances across his eyelids. He smiles slightly for the first time in eight years. Then, with one violent push, he and the wheelchair break the surface of the dark pond.

He was a useless Uchiha after all. And useless Uchiha's did not exist.

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Keep on the lookout for a Prequel and Sequel. Both will be Oneshots.


End file.
